Any Advice for Post Chemo and Radiation Hiking and Backpacking?

[NJdreamer]

I am going through breast cancer treatment including chemotherapy and then radiation. Before all this came up, I was an avid hiker, had backpacked 200+ miles on the AT over 2-4 day trips during the past 2 years and had recently run my first road race in 30+ years (10 miles in 1 hour 48 minutes, yeah). I am halfway through chemo, and on really good days, can walk 2+ miles, and do some light weights. The weather has been too hot for me to even try hiking short trails, but by October, I hope to do short hikes again, and go car camping before it gets too cold.

Are there any breast cancer survivors who can comment on how soon after chemo and radiation you were able to backpack? I know I need to build up my strength again. My backpacking was 3 season, and my love of hiking is 4 season. This will all be over by December, and I am so eager hike again and sleep outside. Thanks for your suggestions.

[Wise Old Owl]

In home (long) treadmill - as I begin to attempt to understand my dad who was an avid hiker and will pass at the end of next year for an aggressive cancer, my hope is that you can survive this. Nobody ever hikes 20-30 miles out of the box - this requires working muscles back up to getting there. Potassium and Magnesium and a mild pain killer to build your stamina back up. Think Banana's and Mushrooms....

• Halibut
• Mackeral
• Boiled spinach
• Bran breakfast cereal
• Almonds
• Cocoa
• Bran breakfast cereal
• Almonds
• Cashews
• Pumpkin seeds

When you get too tiered the couch is nearby. After a couple of months the trail appears 5-10 miles in front of you - a park, a circle, a trail.... take your time and invite your closest friends on your trips to support and confide in. Chemo zaps the good cells as well as the bad... it takes a long time to heal, sometimes as much as a year.

From the heart - I hope you can endeavor, stick it out... keep us in the thread!

[OkeefenokeeJoe]

• Halibut
• Mackeral
• Boiled spinach
• Bran breakfast cereal
• Almonds
• Cocoa
• Bran breakfast cereal
• Almonds
• Cashews
• Pumpkin seeds

OUCH!! That's not a diet I'd wish on anyone. Where's the fried chicken and red beans & rice?

Listen, as a survivor of a nasty blood cancer, after being told (in 2008) I had "about 18 months" to live, I know how cancer/chemotherapy effects one's diet and eating habits. Chemo ruins your taste buds and makes most foods taste nasty as hell. My recommendation is to eat anything you can tolerate and hold down. I don't care if it's tree bark, or sirloin, or fried chicken. If it suits your taste buds and you can keep it down, then eat it. Just eat SOMETHING!

I can recall, while I was lingering in my hospital bed at Emory in Atlanta, friends would occasionally visit and many would bring me a lot of this holistic, foo-foo, tree bark and nuts & berries food crap and I just couldn't see it. What got me going again was ... get this ... a single ripe Georgia peach and fried chicken gizzards (with Texas Pete hot sauce), and fresh Georgia white shrimp (thank you Paula Deen!!). No joke. After that, my appetite was on the rebound, big time.

Prior to cancer I was a 100-miles-per-week runner. During my three years of INTENSE chemotherapy, I hardly ran a step. Now, post cancer, I am running again, though not as far, but running nonetheless, and I enjoy a regular-guy diet. A salad now and then, an occasional double cheese burger, pizza, pasta, steak and, yes .... fried chicken and red beans & rice.

Eat what you want and begin your hiking rebound in measured increments. Don't go too far, too fast. Take your time and heal, and progress as you feel your strength returning.

OkeefenokeeJoe

[NJdreamer]

In home (long) treadmill - as I begin to attempt to understand my dad who was an avid hiker and will pass at the end of next year for an aggressive cancer, my hope is that you can survive this. Nobody ever hikes 20-30 miles out of the box - this requires working muscles back up to getting there. Potassium and Magnesium and a mild pain killer to build your stamina back up. Think Banana's and Mushrooms....

• Halibut
• Mackeral
• Boiled spinach
• Bran breakfast cereal
• Almonds
• Cocoa
• Bran breakfast cereal
• Almonds
• Cashews
• Pumpkin seeds

When you get too tiered the couch is nearby. After a couple of months the trail appears 5-10 miles in front of you - a park, a circle, a trail.... take your time and invite your closest friends on your trips to support and confide in. Chemo zaps the good cells as well as the bad... it takes a long time to heal, sometimes as much as a year.

From the heart - I hope you can endeavor, stick it out... keep us in the thread!

Thank you so much for the tips. There are actually foods on the list that I like, and have been eating. I definitely understand about going slow and with others. I do have some hiking friends to hike with, and belong to one club that has several levels of hikes. I learned that the hard way gardening a couple of times when it was in the low 80s. My brain wanted to keep going, and my body was near heat exhaustion as chemo changed my tolerance. The doctor says I am doing well, so keep up what I am doing.

[NJdreamer]

OUCH!! That's not a diet I'd wish on anyone. Where's the fried chicken and red beans & rice?

Listen, as a survivor of a nasty blood cancer, after being told (in 2008) I had "about 18 months" to live, I know how cancer/chemotherapy effects one's diet and eating habits. Chemo ruins your taste buds and makes most foods taste nasty as hell. My recommendation is to eat anything you can tolerate and hold down. I don't care if it's tree bark, or sirloin, or fried chicken. If it suits your taste buds and you can keep it down, then eat it. Just eat SOMETHING!

I can recall, while I was lingering in my hospital bed at Emory in Atlanta, friends would occasionally visit and many would bring me a lot of this holistic, foo-foo, tree bark and nuts & berries food crap and I just couldn't see it. What got me going again was ... get this ... a single ripe Georgia peach and fried chicken gizzards (with Texas Pete hot sauce), and fresh Georgia white shrimp (thank you Paula Deen!!). No joke. After that, my appetite was on the rebound, big time.

Prior to cancer I was a 100-miles-per-week runner. During my three years of INTENSE chemotherapy, I hardly ran a step. Now, post cancer, I am running again, though not as far, but running nonetheless, and I enjoy a regular-guy diet. A salad now and then, an occasional double cheese burger, pizza, pasta, steak and, yes .... fried chicken and red beans & rice.

Eat what you want and begin your hiking rebound in measured increments. Don't go too far, too fast. Take your time and heal, and progress as you feel your strength returning.

OkeefenokeeJoe

Thanks so much for the encouragement. Mine is not life threatening. Chemo is recommended for a longer life, and fortunately after the first round (so horrible I was going to quit), hasn't been too bad. I understand about the food donations. The food from friends is good stuff but not our preferences. After several drop offs, we started getting the word out that we did not need food. One of my health coaches gave me similar advice - eat when you want and whatever you want. For me, a former Weight Watcher, this is a dangerous message. I am trying to tell myself that the message only applies on bad days, not to gourge on good days.

It is so wonderful to hear that you are still able to run, even if it is shorter miles, and doing well. That is a huge relief to me, as look forward to the end of this life event. Thanks again, NJ Dreamer

[kizzybean]

I personally have not been treated for cancer but my section hiking partner had chemo for Breast Cancer. She and I have hiked together on short AT section hikes in Maine and NH the past 4 years. Generally 2 - 4 days each outing. When we started hiking together she was a couple years post therapy. We met thru hiking and I never knew she was a Breast cancer survivor till our second summer hiking. She is in her late 60's. We would hike anywhere between 6 - 10 miles per day with a full pack. Our miles would depend on the terrain. Two summers ago we hiked the Presidential Range & Wildcat to Gorham NH. (some of the tougher miles on the AT) Last summer we couldn't get out much and completed shorter hikes in Maine from the Bald Pates to Rangeley and Bigelow to Caratunk. She also ran a 1/2 marathon 2 years ago. Each person's experience is different, still I feel you should be able to return to your pre-therapy activities in time, just maybe at a slower pace or modified distance. She says the most frustrating thing post chemo is what she refers to her "chemo Brain" where she sometimes forgets if she shared something with me or not and coming up with a specific word sometimes in conversation. Next year I am attempting a thru-hike NOBO and looking forward to her joining me for a few sections along the way. Good luck with your therapy and hope to see you on the trail in the future.

[NJdreamer]

Kizzybean, Thanks so much for sharing this post. It is great to hear about others. Slower and less miles will be OK. I will just need to be more careful about which groups if any I hike with, and opt instead to hike with 1 or 2 good hiking and backpack friends. My last chemo was today, to be followed by radiation, what joy but 2017 will be here soon. This past week I was able to camp overnight in a yurt, and hike 3 miles each day with no elevation. It felt wonderful to be outside on the trail and be outside at night to see the moon. Your friend is an inspiration to me. Good luck with the NOBO and hope to see you on the trail.

[NJdreamer]

I am back! My treatments went relatively easy for me. I day hiked a PA 14 mile section today, slow but there were lots of rocks, and I have always been slow on rocks. I feel a huge sense of relief from having hiked today. Thanks for the help.

[danil411]

Congrats! You are sn inspiration.

[kizzybean]

Great Job !!!!! There's no time limit on hiking...it's your hike at your speed and distance. Just wonderful you were out on the trail. One step at a time.

[rafe]

Great news, NJDreamer. Have at it!

[ScareBear]

Congrats! I take a chemo drug for my RA(methotrexate). My MD warned me to eat a calcium-rich diet and look into calcium supplements as methotrexate interferes with calcium uptake and an important thing called "bone remodeling". That's important for hiking, as you want your bones dense and not brittle!!! Ask your MD if you should be enhancing your calcium input due to your brand of chemo. Also, if you are taking a PPI for the stomach problems of the chemo, that can interfere with calcium uptake as well and they say to take the PPI first thing in the morning and then wait and take calcium supplements with food at lunch and dinner...again, its not a YMMV thing, so ask your MD first!

My former hiking partner survived a teenage bone cancer that required horrific 1970's chemo. She barely survived, but is on the trail! However, she does have permanent deficits that do have a significant impact on her long distance hiking ability, as a result of the chemo. Things have gotten WAY better in the last 40 years with chemo. The point I am trying to make is that no matter how bad the chemo, you can hike the trail again!

[NJdreamer]

Congrats! I take a chemo drug for my RA(methotrexate). My MD warned me to eat a calcium-rich diet and look into calcium supplements as methotrexate interferes with calcium uptake and an important thing called "bone remodeling". That's important for hiking, as you want your bones dense and not brittle!!! Ask your MD if you should be enhancing your calcium input due to your brand of chemo. Also, if you are taking a PPI for the stomach problems of the chemo, that can interfere with calcium uptake as well and they say to take the PPI first thing in the morning and then wait and take calcium supplements with food at lunch and dinner...again, its not a YMMV thing, so ask your MD first!

My former hiking partner survived a teenage bone cancer that required horrific 1970's chemo. She barely survived, but is on the trail! However, she does have permanent deficits that do have a significant impact on her long distance hiking ability, as a result of the chemo. Things have gotten WAY better in the last 40 years with chemo. The point I am trying to make is that no matter how bad the chemo, you can hike the trail again!

Thanks. Not sure about the effects of the chemo on my bones, but definitely may be some impact from post-cancer drug. Supplements and other steps to prevent this were recommended, and I am doing them. I think being active should help too. I still have my spirit and legs feel great, so both of those are super important to me. Thanks again to you and others for your comments. I plan to be on the trail as much as possible, so this website and its members are a huge help.